Fungi, including mushrooms, are neither plants nor animals and
instead form their own group of living organisms that generally
reproduce by spores and contain nuclei with chromosomes. Perhaps
surprisingly due to their plantlike appearance, fungi are more
closely related to animals than to plants.

China's mushroom industry is a multimillion-dollar operation,
with sales equivalent to $44 million in 2005, according to
The Diplomat. And some of the finest and costliest specimens,
such as the rare Tricholoma matsutake mushroom — highly
prized as a delicacy in Japan — come from Yunnan.

The giant mushroom discovered in China might not be safe to eat;
many mushrooms are poisonous. Two women in California were killed
recently after eating a soup made of
toxic mushrooms.

On the other hand, there may be some therapeutic benefits to
certain mushrooms. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University
believe the hallucinogen found in " magic
mushrooms " might someday help treat a variety of psychiatric
disorders, including depression, anxiety and addiction.

It remains to be seen whether the massive 'shroom discovered in
China is a record-breaking fungus for its species, but it
certainly won't be the world's largest mushroom: In 1998, a giant
honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) was discovered
growing underground in Oregon. The specimen is estimated to be
some 2,384 acres (965 hectares) in size, and at least 2,400 years
old.